LBPD Crime Stats Show Violent Crimes And Property Crimes Up By Double Digits In First Three Months of 2012: Violent Crimes Up 13% Citywide Stemming From LBPD's North, West & South Divisions; Property Crimes Soar 23.4% In East Division

In the first three months of 2012, violent crimes in Long Beach increased 13% over the same period last year, propelled by an increase in violent crimes in LBPD's North, West, and South Divisions, while in East Division (from Cherry Ave. to east city limits) property crimes increased by a 23.4%, a figure driving LB's property crimes up 15% citywide.

The data were presented at the latest East Division Community Gathering, a quarterly series of public meetings organized by East Division Commander Michael Beckman. The event was held in the new, state of the art conference facility room at the Veterans Administration Hospital.

Photo credit: Dan Halverson

Commander Beckman cited year to date statistics that he said are based on figures publicly available on LBPD's website. [Data compare year to date figures for 2012 (through March) with the same period in 2011]:

Regarding violent crime (year to date as of March, 2012):

• Violent crimes (category includes murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults including shootings) are UP 13%.

• In East Division, robberies are UP almost 7%.
  • Commander Beckman said a number of East Division robberies stem from "loss prevention" actions at local stores. As an example, he said that if a suspect takes an item from a grocery store and the store's loss prevention staff spots it and struggles with the shoplifter, it's a robbery, but if the shoplifter manages to leave the store without a struggle, it's a misdemeanor shoplifting. Other robberies include jewelery snatches (linked to the high price of gold)...and Commander Beckman recommended that residents be discreet about the way they display their jewelry.

• In East Division, aggravated assaults (shootings, assault with deadly weapons) are DOWN 9%.

• In East Division -- unlike LBPD's other three divisions -- year to date violent crime is DOWN 0.08% [reflects increased robberies combined with decreased aggravated assaults].

Regarding property crimes:

• In East Division year to date (March 2012) property crimes (residential burglaries + garage burglaries + auto burglaries + bike thefts + auto thefts) are UP 23.4%. Citywide, property crimes are up 15%. That means East Division property crimes are driving property crime statistics higher citywide.
  • Most crimes in East Division are property crimes, Commander Beckman said. He urged people to lock their homes, cars and bikes...and said that in one East Division neighborhood (that he didn't identify), 60% of March residential burglaries were committed to unlocked homes and garages.) Residential burglaries are committed mainly int he daytime, he added.

In remarks prior to Commander Beckman's presentation of the latest crime statistics, Deputy Police Chief Robert Luna acknowledged that when it comes to crime throughout the city, so far in 2012 "our numbers are going in the wrong direction." By way of context, he noted that in 2010, LB saw record crime lows, and in 2011 LB had 25 murders compared to 1992 when it had 127 murders. He said that when compared over a period of years, LB's crime statistics are much better than they once were, but cautioned that "they're going in that direction again."

As reported earlier this month by LBReport.com, in LBPD's North Division, violent crimes increased more than 15% while property crimes increased by roughly 4% (both data comparing first quarter of 2012 to first quarter of 2011).

Further to follow on LBReport.com.